Trisikad driver meted 15 years in jail for drugs

A trisikad driver was sentenced to 15 years in prison after the court gave more credence to the testimonies of the policemen that the accused was legally arrested while in possession of two packs of shabu in barangay Duljo-Fatima almost two years ago.

Regional Trial Court Branch 58 judge Gabriel Ingles ruled that 33-year-old Joseph Oralde, a resident of sitio Plastican, barangay Duljo-Fatima is guilty beyond reasonable doubt for violating Section 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165.

Ingles also ordered Oralde to pay the government a fine of P300,000.

Oralde was arrested by a team of policemen from the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch while he was in possession of two small packs of shabu inside a videoke joint last July 5, 2006.

The policemen claimed that they were patrolling the area and when they entered the videoke joint they saw a man and a woman comparing some small plastic packs with white crystalline powder inside.

The policemen suspected that the packs contained shabu, a regulated drug, and quickly arrested the two.

The man was later identified as Oralde while the woman was a certain Socorro Morga, who is now facing separate charges before the court.

Oralde claimed that it was not true that he was arrested inside the videoke joint, according to him the policemen picked up him while he was about to return his rented trisikad and brought him to the reclamation area where the lawmen allegedly demanded money from him in exchange for his release.

The court rejected his alibi and gave more credence to the testimonies of the arresting officers.  — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP